BD.18 Silksworth Hall Conservation Area

Silksworth Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Strategy PLANNING GUIDANCE Silksworth Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Strategy Janet Johnson Deputy Chief Executive Sunderland City Council PO Box 102 Civic Centre SR2 7DN Tel: (0191) 561 1515 Fax: (0191) 553 7893 e-mail: [email protected] January 2010 Contents Contents i Background ii Introduction 1 Part One: Character Appraisal Historical development 6 Local connections 10 Fundamental character 11 Landmarks views and vistas 14 Sub-areas introduction 17 Doxford Park 18 Warden Law Lane 21 Silksworth Hall 25 Current issues & possible solutions 28 Part Two: Management Strategy Introduction 36 Management Proposals Doxford Park 37 Open space 41 Boundary treatments 43 Building maintenance and alterations 45 Archaeology 47 Management objectives & proposals: summary & recommended action 48 Appendix 1 - UDP policies 49 Appendix 2 - Tyne and Wear HER 50 Appendix 3 - References 52 Silksworth Hall Conservation Area - Character Appraisal and Management Strategy i Background Conservation areas English Heritage published its 'Conservation Principles' guidance in 2008, providing an Conservation areas were introduced by the Civic Amenities Act 1967 and are defined as overarching set of principles that should underpin all work in the historic environment "areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it and heritage sector. These are: is desirable to preserve or enhance". Local authorities are obliged to determine which parts of their district are of special interest and declare them conservation areas. 1. The historic environment is a shared resource Designation is dependent on the overall quality and interest of an area, rather than 2. Everyone should be able to participate in sustaining the historic environment individual buildings, although it is common for such areas to contain a number of Listed 3. Understanding the significance of places is vital Buildings. There are currently 14 conservation areas in the City of Sunderland, ranging 4. Significant places should be managed to sustain their values from city centre areas to pre-conquest villages to the Victorian suburb of Ashbrooke and 5. Decisions about change must be reasonable, transparent and consistent the coastal resort of Roker. Each conservation area has its own unique character and 6. Documenting and learning from decisions is vital appearance. Designation as a conservation area has a number of implications. In all cases "special" consideration must be given to the impact that development would have on the These six principles have strongly influenced the council's approach to writing this character and appearance of the area. Importantly, it requires planning consent to be document and give additional weight to the importance of the production of Character gained for the demolition of buildings within conservation areas and for certain types of Appraisals and Management Strategies. development which are elsewhere classified as permitted development. These generally cover various types of cladding, the insertion of dormer windows into roof slopes, the Changing policy context erection of satellite dishes and radio masts/antennae. Designation also brings extra Draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 15 - Planning for the Historic Environment has controls over works to trees. recently been issued for consultation by central government - in its final form, this PPS will consolidate national planning policy on the historic environment into a single Appraisal of character streamlined planning policy statement and will replace PPGs 15 and 16. Additional The protection of an area does not end with conservation area designation. The detailed guidance is now to be found in a separate document produced by English Government's Planning Policy Guidance note (PPG) 15 "Planning and the Historic Heritage. This guidance is in turn to be supplemented from time to time by more in- Environment" urges Local Authorities to prepare detailed assessments of the special depth guidance on specific topics, also to be prepared by English Heritage in association interest, character and appearance of their conservation areas. A character appraisal with central government. defines and analyses the special qualities and the architectural and historic interest which warranted the conservation area designation. PPG15 states that "the more clearly the The Government's broad objectives for the PPS are: special architectural or historic interest that justifies designation is defined and recorded, to apply the principles of sustainable development to proposals involving the historic the sounder will be the basis for local plan policies and development control decisions, as environment; well as for the formulation of proposals for the preservation and enhancement of the to conserve and, where appropriate, enhance England's heritage assets in a manner character or appearance of an area". Character appraisals should therefore provide a appropriate to their significance; and framework against which development proposals can be assessed for their to contribute to our knowledge and understanding of our past. appropriateness in the historic environment. The draft PPS is firmly based upon the principles within English Heritage's Conservation Principles guidance. ii Silksworth Hall Conservation Area - Character Appraisal and Management Strategy Preservation and enhancement of character Comments and suggestions received have been incorporated into this final version of Local Authorities are under a duty from time to time to "formulate and publish proposals the document; a full schedule of the consultation responses and subsequent for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are conservation amendments can be obtained from the council on request. This Planning Guidance will areas" (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas (LBCA)) Act 1990, s. 71). English be subject to review again in five years time. Heritage guidance on the management of conservation areas advises that such proposals should take the form of a mid-to-long term strategy, setting objectives for addressing the issues and recommendations for actions arising from character appraisals, and identifying any further and more detailed work needed for their implementation. Silksworth Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Strategy (CAMS) This document has been prepared in response to the guidance outlined above and, as such, discharges the council's obligations and duties under the Planning (LBCA) Act 1990, as well as complying with English Heritage's recommendations. The CAMS will provide formal planning guidance to the adopted City of Sunderland UDP and future Local Development Framework (LDF) and will be a material consideration when considering applications for development within the Conservation Area. Heritage at Risk English Heritage publishes a national, annual Heritage at Risk Register. The Register includes Grade I and II* listed buildings, conservation areas, registered parks and gardens and scheduled monuments that English Heritage considers to be at risk. The 2009 Heritage at Risk Register features a small number of the city’s conservation areas; Silksworth Hall Conservation Area is not on this list. This is testament to the quality and condition of the Conservation Area – both its buildings and spaces. The area does, however, contain a building on the At Risk Register – Doxford House. This matter is considered on page 44 in the Management Strategy section of the document. Consultation and document development This document is the final adopted version, which has been revised in light of representations received during the public consultation. A public consultation period was held from 16 November 2009 to 11 December 2009, during which time members of the public, local and national amenity groups and locally active architects and developers were invited to contribute to its development. A public exhibition was held on 01 December 2009 at St. Matthew’s Church, Silksworth. Silksworth Hall Conservation Area - Character Appraisal and Management Strategy iii Introduction Silksworth Hall Conservation Area was designated in 1970 in recognition of its architectural and historic interest. The Conservation Area includes the former grounds of Silksworth Hall - originally the seat of Silksworth Manor, the former grounds of Doxford House - now Doxford Park, and the now disappeared medieval village of Silcesworth which developed around the spine of Warden Law Lane. Given the early history of Silksworth, it is likely that the Conservation Area could yield significant archaeological evidence should opportunities arise to investigate this in the future. It is clear that Silksworth has changed significantly throughout its lifetime, and while most physical evidence of the early history is long lost (including all of the medieval buildings), development from the 18th centuries onwards remains of great interest. The current Silksworth Hall, for example, was built in 1902 and replaced a former (possibly Georgian) Hall, which no doubt would have been of architectural and historic interest, and which itself probably replaced a Tudor Manor (remains of which were found on site in the early 20th century). Sadly, only a small amount of photographic evidence remains of these buildings, but the current Hall is nonetheless an important building in its own right and is listed at Grade

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